Unfulfilled Dream (eBook)

Michael Sequeira (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2024 | 1. Auflage
212 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-7518-5 (ISBN)

Infos

A historical fiction that demonstrates how good personal values along with respect, kindness and love overcome racism in a 1960 small community. The story exemplifies the approach that is needed today to realize Dr. King's 'I have a Dream' vision.

I am a retired college professor of physics. I am 77 years old, live with my wife in Cloverdale, CA and have three adult children and seven grandchildren. I was born in San Francisco and raised in Mill Valley, CA through my freshman year at Tamalpais High School. My family then moved to Redding, CA, where I graduated from Shasta High School in 1965. I graduated from CSUC in 1969 and completed my graduate work at the University of California, Davis followed by 39 years of experience in education. During my professional career, teaching was always a passion for me, and I taught physical science, math, chemistry and physics. After graduate school, I taught at Oakmont High School, Roseville, CA for five years before moving on to Sierra Community College, Rocklin, CA for thirty-four years. I spent the last five of those years in administration as Dean of Math and Science. It is worth noting that my career was characterized by change. After completing college, I went from teaching high school to college, from teaching chemistry to teaching physics and math, and finally moving from teaching to administration. All of this change was initiated by me and led to tremendous personal and professional growth. Toward the end of my career, I was the best that I could be. I was honored by students when they nominated me for faculty member of the year. I was also honored by my peers as administrator of the year. Ironically, having spent an entire career at reaching this pinnacle when I was the most effective, it was then time to retire. I truly loved my career and would not change a thing if I had it to do all over again. Teaching at the community college level was an unforeseen gift for me. Unlike the university level, we did not have to publish, and our sole emphasis was teaching. This emphasis was realized when statistics reveal that community college students who transfer to four-year universities have a higher average GPA and lower attrition rate for their junior and senior years than students who enter the university directly from high school. Finally, I enjoy travel, photography, golf, writing and volunteering for various causes. Most importantly, though, is the time I spend with my family and friends.

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The title of my book is "e;An Unfulfilled Dream"e;, and it presents a fictional story that takes place in a historically accurate setting. It follows the evolving and unlikely friendship between two very different families. One is a wealthy white family and the other is a poor Black family. The setting is Mill Valley, California including a neighboring unincorporated housing project called Marin City. The story begins in 1960, and it incorporates all the common and accepted language of that day. Initially, it follows the developing relationship between two high school freshman playing football for Tamalpais High School. Tragedy brings the families together, and racism leads to more tragedy. Through kindness and love, these families persevere. The story brings out both the harsh and subtle aspects of racism, along with the importance of friendship. The story ends in 1963, months before Dr. King's "e;I have a Dream"e; speech, with the realization that today Dr. King's dream is far from being fulfilled, hence "e;An Unfulfilled Dream."e;

Textauszug

Chapter 1

Transitions

The transition from elementary to high school is generally greeted by students with anticipation. Hormones are flowing, and these young people are beginning to finally feel the independence and responsibility that adulthood will bring in a very short four-year period. A significant degree of trepidation may also exist as their entire educational structure and culture are about to change.

At Tamalpais High School in 1960 Mill Valley, this transition for local eighth graders resulted in a new school with a much larger student body of mostly upperclassmen. Not only did these students have six different classes and teachers, but they were able to choose one or two of those classes, with the help of a school counselor. Physical education classes were now required, clothes lockers were assigned, and showers taken after a variety of physical activities. A selection of team sports were also available to choose from as part of a regular extracurricular activity program. In a short year or so, some of these eighth graders would be driving a car to school.

Sean Brady was such an eighth grader in 1960, but he certainly did not look the part. He was a 6 ft. 3 in., 195-pound Irish kid, who was still expected to grow. He certainly caught the attention of Tam High’s football coach, because, for their historically unsuccessful record, talent and size were highly valued. Such considerations as race were irrelevant. For coach Brown, the 1960 incoming freshman class appeared to offer some hope for his team. Besides Brady, Marin City provided a negro boy who was nicknamed “Lightning” in Pop Warner football. His name was Jim Harris. Coach Brown knew that both Brady and Harris would certainly make the junior varsity squad, and he suspected they might even be moved up to varsity. As usual, the summer football camp would sort that out.

Coach Brown’s summer football camp was known for its rigor. Camp alumni referred to it as the “death camp.” That reference originated after a participant died during a summer camp workout a few years back caused by a burst aneurism. It was determined that his condition was the result of a genetic defect that could not have been foreseen. New players were advised never to use the “death camp” reference under any circumstances. Veterans believed that the consequences of doing so would result in additional workouts full of rigor and pain that would probably kill the unfortunate few who made that critical mistake. The camp was an opportunity for players to show their stuff in hopes of recognition and glory, and maybe even a college scholarship, eventually. The freshman tryouts were generally separated from the junior varsity and varsity squads because of their lack of experience and the large number of initial participants. The freshman coach had a unique challenge to evaluate the hopefuls and acclimate the resulting survivors. With Brady and Harris, no such acclimation awaited them.

Participation in high school sports was considered an extracurricular activity and voluntary. Such participation for some was the result of pure desire born out of a genetically programed competitive nature and nurtured by years of competition. Competition during school yard games, little league baseball, Pop Warner football and CYA basketball. These competitive experiences were a great preparation for high school sports, and for some, the chance for a better life. Such was the case for Jim Harris. In contrast, for those students who may not have had a conducive genetic trait, extensive competitive experiences, or a concern for a better life, high school sports were most likely passed on unless coerced by coaches, friends and family. Such was the case for Sean Brady. These two, very different fourteen-year-old freshman now found themselves in coach Brown’s football camp.

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Sean Brady was born in 1946 at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco but raised in Mill Valley by loving parents. His father was a practicing attorney, and his mother was a stay-at-home mom, formally referred to as a housewife in those days. Sean proved to be a very smart lad who followed the rules of the day and was a joy to be with. His Irish family were practicing Catholics, and he attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel parochial school in Mill Valley. Sean transferred from the public school system to Mt. Carmel, with its formation in 1955, into grade four and attended through the 1957-58 school year and grade six. The school was administered, and all the classes were taught, by a strict order of nuns from the Sacred Heart order. They provided a great education but were known to use corporal punishment when the circumstances warranted a stronger form of discipline. Sean completed all the church’s sacraments, became an altar boy, and sung in the school choir. Despite his cooperative participation, he never fully embraced the church’s basic teachings or possessed the expected faith. It was for those reasons that he transferred back to the local public school system and Edna Maguire Junior High School for his seventh and eighth-grade years, with the approval of his parents.

If you had to describe Sean in one word, it would be kind. As a result, he was generous, helpful, and caring towards others. He was a natural-born leader and had many friends. His easy-going nature might lead one to believe he was not suitable for competitive sports, not having the competitive instinct. To the contrary, because of his innate size and natural talent, Sean excelled at every sport he attempted. He was exceptional at baseball because of his excellent hand-eye coordination and strong throwing arm, where he starred as a pitcher. Sean’s success resulted in adulation and intensive recruitment by the local team sports. Baseball in the late spring and summer, football in the late summer and fall, and basketball in the late fall and winter.

Were sports important to Sean? Not really! He took his success in stride and gave these sports-related experiences a low priority. He had other interests, such as music and learning to play the guitar, exploring nature, learning about the world and the universe, and reading great mysteries. Reading was very common throughout the nineteen-fifties before TV, the Internet, cell phones, and social media. Radio programs were a popular source of entertainment, but the time spent listening to the programs of the day was a small fraction of the average screen time spent by today’s youth.

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The 1960 summer football camp began on August 1 and ran Monday through Thursday until September 1. This resulted in twenty actual days of camp, excluding weekends, and ending five days before the start of classes on Tuesday, September 5, the day after Labor Day. The varsity and junior varsity tryouts started a week earlier, and included school transfers, first timers, and potential freshman talent invited by coach Brown. Sean Brady and Jim Harris were the only freshmen offered this rare invitation in 1960. There were eight such tryouts total, including four seniors, two juniors, and our two freshmen, for the week’s event conducted by coach Brown and his three assistants. The tryouts were told to bring workout shorts and shoes of their own, and each received a practice jersey with a number, along with a temporary locker to store their street clothes.

Participation began at 9 a.m. in the school gym with weight and height measurements followed by a standing vertical leap measurement. Then they headed to the football field where a few of the established players were running sprints. The first test for this group of hopefuls was a timed one-mile run, performed together, by completing four laps around the track that bordered the football field. This fitness test was immediately followed by completing as many push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups as possible. After a short break, the hopefuls ran a 100-yard, all-out sprint performed individually, and in rapid succession, that was also timed. They were then paired up to attack a blocking sled and move it ten yards as quickly as possible.

All of this was being watched closely by several established varsity team members from last year. There were only so many spots on each squad, so any new additions had the potential to displace existing players. This year, the varsity team openings were going to be tight because most of the previous year’s varsity starters were juniors. Last year’s team posted a winning record but not near good enough to win the coveted Marin County Athletic League football championship. Coach Brown was determined to win the school’s first MCAL trophy this year, and that would take a very special team of players. He was definitely feeling the pressure from the local community.

The week went fast and concluded on Thursday with extensive position drills based on a selected group of plays taken from the varsity playbook given to each tryout to study and commit to memory as a homework assignment. Established varsity players were brought in to simulate a game situation. One of the hopeful seniors was a starting kicker from southern California, so he was restricted to punting and field goals. Two other seniors were pass receivers, and the fourth senior fancied himself as a defensive back. The two juniors were sized up as potential linemen, and Jim Harris was an obvious running back. That left Sean Brady, and with his strong throwing arm and build, he was slated as a potential quarterback. They would all be notified Sunday by telephone whether or not to report to the official opening of the 1960 football camp.

Late Thursday afternoon, the coaches sat down in coach Brown’s office with all the...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 4.10.2024
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Historische Romane
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-7518-5 / 9798350975185